Rollins (NYSE:ROL) Given New $35.00 Price Target at Sanford C. Bernstein

Key Points

• Sanford C. Bernstein cut Rollins’ price target from $42 to $35 while maintaining a “market perform” rating, implying roughly 4.66% upside from the $33.44 share price.
• Analyst sentiment has weakened, with Rollins receiving an overall “Hold” consensus rating and an average price target of $43; recent downgrades came from Argus, Zacks Research, and Citigroup.
• Rollins narrowly missed quarterly expectations, reporting $0.32 in EPS versus $0.34 expected and $1.08 billion in revenue versus $1.09 billion expected, although revenue increased 7.9% year over year.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) had its price objective dropped by equities research analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from $42.00 to $35.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Monday, Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a "market perform" rating on the business services provider's stock. Sanford C. Bernstein's price objective suggests a potential upside of 4.66% from the company's current price.

Other analysts have also issued reports about the stock. Argus lowered shares of Rollins from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Barclays set a $45.00 price target on shares of Rollins and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, July 24th. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Rollins from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. UBS Group set a $36.00 price objective on shares of Rollins and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Rollins from $46.00 to $32.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $43.00.

Rollins Trading Down 0.0%

NYSE:ROL opened at $33.44 on Monday. Rollins has a 12-month low of $29.28 and a 12-month high of $66.14. The firm has a market cap of $16.09 billion, a PE ratio of 30.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $33.99 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.17.

Rollins (NYSE:ROL - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 22nd. The business services provider reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.34 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.09 billion. Rollins had a return on equity of 38.81% and a net margin of 13.55%. Rollins's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.30 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Rollins will post 1.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Rollins

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Raiffeisen Bank International AG raised its position in Rollins by 73.5% during the second quarter. Raiffeisen Bank International AG now owns 642 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 272 shares during the last quarter. Westpac Banking Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Rollins in the second quarter valued at about $42,000. Bayban acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $49,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins in the second quarter valued at approximately $88,000. Finally, Livforsakringsbolaget Skandia Omsesidigt acquired a new stake in shares of Rollins in the second quarter valued at approximately $93,000. 51.79% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Rollins

Rollins, Inc is a provider of pest and termite control services for residential and commercial customers. The company offers protection against common pests such as ants, cockroaches, rodents, termites, mosquitoes and bedbugs, along with wildlife control and other specialty services.

Rollins serves customers through a portfolio of regional and international brands, including Orkin, the company's best-known pest control business; HomeTeam Pest Defense; Western Pest Services; Critter Control; and other local and specialized operations.

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